Engine or pump



C. B. REDRUP ENGINE OR PUMP Filed July 19. 1929 S Sheets-Shea?I l Jam. 6, 1931.

Jan. '6, 9193.1. c. REDRUP ENGINE OR PUMP s sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1929 C. M VMW jan. 6, 1931. C, B REDRUF 1,787,493

ENGINE OR PUMP Filed July 19, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 5 ww 5y @XM HTTOP/VEXF Patented liberi.1 @9 lQZllA N nutren stares CHARLES BENJAMENKREDEUP, @F SQCKEORT, ENGLAND nirernn on entre.

Application led July lll, lt., Serial llo. tlbfldtl, and in Great Britain illecember 2S, 1328,

rllhis invention relates to engines, pumps and the like of the axial or wobbler type, that is ot thetype in which the airis ot the crankshaft is parallel to the direction ot movement 5 of the piston or pistons, and the invention is concerned with engines or pumps of this type in which a wobbler is mounted on an inclined portion of the crank-shaft, lin such engines or pumps the thrust ot the pistons is transmitted to the wobbler with the result that the latter oscillatesbaclrwards and forwards and causes `the crank-shalt to rotate. @ne of the objects olf the present invention is to provide an extremely light and compact construction specially suitable tor aircraft engines. X

A further object is to provide an improved l stabilizing or anchor member, transmitting rtheudriving torque from the wobbler to the cylinder-assembly, which will occupy little space and will not involve any increase in the dimensions of the wobbler-casing, and which will be in balance about its axis of oscillation and have small moment et inertia about that axis.

llurther objects are to provide an im provedwobbler which will be lighter and stiffer than those hitherto proposed, and to provide an improved universaljoint connec tion between the pistons and the wobbler.,

lln order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eect, one internal combustion engine constructed in accordance therewith will now be described by way ot1 example with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which )Figure l is a central :cross-section thoroughy the engine;

Figure 2 is a section on the line llll-lll of Figure l, and Figure 3 is a side view ot the wobbler or star-member., i

- 'lhisengine, which is` particularly designed. tor use in aeroplanes, comprises a casing l.- within which a crank shaft 2 Nis mounted on roller and ball bearings 3. 'lhe `cranlrshaft 2 is formed with an inclined portion Il around which two sleeves 5 are placed between the'ends of the inclined portion' Il and collars 6. A star-member 7,

`drical bearing inder containing a. piston 9 connected by a piston rod l() to the end oit one of the arms oia the star member 7. lhe fuel and air mixture is admitted through an inlet passage ll toa central manifold l2 arranged around the crank shalt 2i, from which manitold passages l3 controlled by inlet valves lll lead to the cylinders 8. Exhaust takes place through passages l5 controlled by valves i6.

A stabilizing member in the form oi a hollow tapered rod i7 having a forked end is mounted in the engine casing` l by means ot a member 18 having a cylindrical bore con-` stituting the bearing surface and a spherical exterior iitting within, a seat having spherical surfaces. This seat is constituted in part by the casing l and in part by a cap l@ which is secured to the casing l. As a result the stabilizing member i7 can oscillate freely about its longitudinal anis, and slightly in eve longitudinally. yllhe forked end of the stabilizing member 7 is formed with projections 2O which tit within sockets 2l in thestar member 7, thus constituting t-runnions., carrying the star member 7. 'llhe axis of the trunnions is at right angles to the inclined portion d ot the crank-shaft 2, and passes through its centre which is the point where the axes oil the crank-shaft 2 and the inclined portion l intersect. A

lt should be noted that, although in theory the un-torked end of the stabilizing member could be mounted ina plain cylindrical bearing, allowing angular oscillation'of the stabilizing member about its longitudinal axis, the inevitable errors of manufacture make it desirable in practice to mount such cylinin the engine casing or the like in a spherical housing as described above so as to prevent undue stresses being set up in the engine.

Each connecting rod 10 is connected to the end of the appropriate arm of the star inemother sense, and can also slide slightly ber 7 by a joint comprising a pin 22 littingjin holes 23 in the arm and engaging in a circular groove in a pin 24' to which the end of the connecting rod 10 is pivoted. The two pins are held together by a connecting piece 25 and on account of the grove the pins 22 lock the pins 24 in position. This joint thus .crank shaft 2 hollow and leading suitable pipes or passages 26 from the interior of the crank shaft up to the joints and along the connecting rods 10, the oil being of course fed under pressure to the hollow crank shaft.

In operation the force of the explosion in each cylinder is transmitted as a pure thrust along the connecting rod t0 the end of the arm of the star member 7. This star member is thus caused to oscillate about the trunnions 20, the star member 7 being shaped as shown v in Figure 1 so as to clear the stabilizing member 17, this oscillation causing the crank shaftto rotate. A further oscillation ofthe star member 7 about the axis of the stabilizing member 17 follows, the member 17 oscillating in the member 18. Any tendency for the star member 7 to rotate with the crankshaft is, however, prevented by the stabilizing member 17. There is, therefore, no risk ofthe whole mechanism jamming. It is a particular advantage of the invention that the greatest tendency for the-end of the arm of the star member 7 to fall away from its path and, therefore, for the star member to rotate, comes at the middle of the stroke when the thrust on the' end of the arm is not parallel to the inclined ortion of the crank shaft. The thrust at t e beginning of .the stroke is directly parallel to the inclined portion of the crank shaft, so that any sudden stresses at the beginning of the stroke, due for example to pre-ignition, are not taken by the stabilizing member.

The invention is not, of course, limited to the particular embodiment shown and described; for example, it is applicable toy pumps or compressors, and to engines other than internal-combustion engines, and also to engines, pumps or compressors in which the shaft is stationary and the cylinder assembly revolves around it.

1. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, saidcylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a central cavity extending around said inclined portion, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member pivotally anchored to the cylinder-assembly, pivotally attached to the wobbler at a point within said cavity and lying substantially wholly within the periphery of the wobbler.

2. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a. plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a central cavity extending around said inclined portion, pistonsreciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis transverse to said shaft and' pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis which is transverse to the shaft and to the aforesaid axis.

clined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the incline-d portion of the shaft and formed with a central cavity, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler Within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis transverse to said shaft and pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis which is transverse to the shaft and to the aforesaid axis and which contains the centre of gravity of the stabilizing member.

4. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a' cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinder-assembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a central cavity, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis perpendicular to the inclined portion of said shaft and pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from saidaxis about an axis which is perpendicular to the shaft and to the aforesaid axis.

5. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said 90 3. In combination, a shaft having an inmenace and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about anaxis perpendicular to the inclined portion of said shaft and pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis which is perpendicular to the shaft and to the aforesaid axis and passes through the point of intersection of the axis of the shaft and the axis of the inclined portion thereof.

6. lln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a .cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to v said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinder-assembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a central cavity, pistons'reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis perpendicular to the inclined portion of said shaft and pivoted to Vthe cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis which is perpendicular to the shaft and to the aforesaid axis and passes through the point of intersection of the axis of the shaft and the axis of the inclined portion thereof and which A contains the centre of gravity of the stabilizing member. v

' 'Z'. lln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said lshaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two element-s one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a central cavity, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis perpendicularto the inclined 'portion of said shaft and passing through the point of intersection of the axes of said shaft and said inclined portion, and pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis perpendicular to the shaft and 'passing through the aforesaid point of intersection. l

'8. `ln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylindermounted on the inclined portion of the shaft y and having a central cavity, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis perpendicular to the inclined portion of said shaft and passing through the point of intersection of the axes of said shaft and said inclined portion, and pivoted to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis about an axis perpendicular to the shaft, passing ,through the aforesaid point of 'intersection' and containing the centre of gravity'of the stabilizing member.

9. lln combination, a shaft having aninclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect. to the other, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a cavity therein, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler, and a stabilizing member lying substantially wholly within the periphery of said wobbler, pivoted to they wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis transverse to said shaft and pivoted vto the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from Vsaid axis about an axis which is transverse reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbleigand a stabilizing member pivoted to thewobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis transverse to said shaft and pivotally anchored to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from ksaid axis and situated on a line transverse to said axis and to said shaft. ll. lln combinatioma shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylindersJ parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderlll@ assembly and said shaft constituting two elel ments one o f which is rotatable with respect to the other, 'a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and having a cavity therein, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and connected to said wobbler and a stabilizing member pivoted to the wobbler within said cavity at two points on opposite sides of the shaft about an axis perpendicular to the inclined portion of the shaft at the point of intersection of the axes of the shaft and its inclined portion and universallyjointed to the cylinder-assembly at a point displaced from said axis and situated on a line perpendicular thereto and passing through the aforesaid point of intersection.

19.. ln combination a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler connected to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, said wobbler comprising two parts fitting together on a plane containing the axis of said inclined portion and detachably secured together and a stabilizing` member anchored to the engine casing and to the interior of the wobbler.

13. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler connected to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, said wobbler being of multiarm shape and comprising two parts detachably secured together and fitting together on a plane containing the axis of said inclined portion and passing through one of the arms and a stabilizing member anchored to the engine casing and to the interior of the wobbler.

14. ln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler connected' to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, Ysaid wobbler comprising a hollow shell-like structure of double taper forni and a stabilizing member anchored to the engine casing and to the interior of the wobbler. i

15.. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a'plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons-.reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler connected to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined por- I 16. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylindersparallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly andrsaid shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler connected to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, said wobbler comprising a hollow shell-like structure of double taper form in two parts detachably secured together and fitting together on a plane containing the axis of said inclined portion and a stabilizing member anchored to the engine casing and to the interior of the wobbler.

17. ln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, and a wobbler connected to said pistons and rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, said wobbler including two axially-separated hub-portions and said inclined portion of the shaft having two pairs of shoulders one pair embracing one hub-portion and the other embracing the other hub-portion.

18. lin combination, a. shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembl comprising a plurality-of cylinders para lel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft, and connections between said pistons and said wobbler each constituted by a universal joint including two pivot-pins having their axes mutually perpendicular but not intersecting, one of said pivot-pins being recessed to fit the cylindrical surface of the other, a bearing member arranged to hold the two pivot-pins in contact with one another and a stabilizing member anchored to the engine casing and to the interior of the wobbler.

19. In combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinder-assembly and said shaft constituting two elements one of which is rotatable with repect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and con- Vnected to the pistons, said Wobbler having a central cavity extending around said inclined portion, and a stabilizing member pivotally attached to the Wobbler at a point Within said cavity and pivotally anchored to the cylinder-assembly.

20. ln combination, a shaft having an inclined portion, a cylinder-assembly comprising a plurality of cylinders parallel to said shaft and spaced thereabout, said cylinderassembly and said shaft constituting tWo elements one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, a Wobbler rotatably mounted on the inclined portion of the shaft and connected to the pistons, said Wobbler having a central cavity eXtendin around said inclined portion, and a stabilizing member pivotally attached to the Wobbler at two points Within said cavity on opposite sides of the inclined portion and pivotally anchored to the cylinder-assembly.

In witness whereof l hereunto subscribe my name this 5th da of July, 1929.

CHARLES BElXUAMllN REDRUP. 

